Method, apparatus and system for dynamic range estimation of imaged scenes

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus, and system for dynamic range estimation of imaged scenes for automatic exposure control. For a given exposure time setting, certain areas of a scene may be brighter than what a camera can capture. In cameras, including those experiencing substantial lens vignetting, a gain stage may be used to extend dynamic range and extract auto-exposure data from the extended dynamic range. Alternatively, dynamic range can be extended using pre-capture image information taken under reduced exposure conditions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/512,302, filed on Aug. 30, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,944,485, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed embodiments relate generally to an image processing method,apparatus, and system for dynamic range estimation of imaged scenes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ideally, digital images created through the use of CMOS and other solidstate image sensors are exact duplications of the imaged scene projectedupon the image sensor arrays. However, pixel saturation,analog-to-digital saturation, exposure, gain settings and bit widthprocessing limitations in an imaging device can limit the dynamic rangeof a digital image.

To achieve a more realistic photographic image, an automatic camera mustchoose an appropriate exposure time and gain setting for image pixelsignals using available dynamic range information. Generally, usinghigher gains and longer exposures result in the brightest areas of ascene being clipped. On the other hand, using lower gains and shorterexposures result in darker, noisier pictures. Therefore, to choose anoptimal exposure while preventing clipping of the brightest areas, thecamera's auto-exposure module relies on having scene luminancedistribution and maximum scene luminance information available, whichare affected by limitations on the dynamic range of the camera.

FIG. 1 is an image which shows a dynamic limitation based on pixelsaturation. It includes a person in the foreground and a backgroundcontaining a bright lamp. Both the person and the bright lamp are imagedwithout loss of detail, however the person looks underexposed. Merelyincreasing the exposure period may more correctly expose the person butwould lead to brightness clipping and loss of detail of the lamp, asshown in FIG. 2. Clipping also occurs when a pixel output signal islimited in some way by the full range of an amplifier, analog-to-digitalconverter or other circuit within an imaging device that captures orprocesses the pixel signals of an image. When clipping occurs, pixelsignals are flattened at the peak luminance values. As another exampleof pixel signal clipping due to circuit limitations, a sensor equippedwith a 10-bit ADC would typically have an image processing pipeline withpixel values in the range 0 to 1023 Least Significant Bits (LSB). Thus,luminance that corresponds to a pixel value above 1023 LSB is clipped to1023 LSB, resulting in a loss of information. Accordingly, there is ahighest scene luminance D_(Scene HI) and a highest luminance D_(Cam HI)which can be sensed and processed by the camera without clipping.

Particularly, in scenes where an exposure setting may properly exposemost of the scene while clipping some areas of the scene, as shown inFIG. 2, there is a need for the auto-exposure operation to have sceneluminance information that exceeds D_(Cam HI). If a decrease in exposuresetting largely prevents the brightest areas of a scene from clippingwithout substantially underexposing the main subject, the auto-exposureoperation should proceed further using the reduced exposure setting.However, if a decrease in exposure setting is insufficient to preventthe brightest areas of a scene from clipping without substantiallyunderexposing the main subject, the auto-exposure operation should keepthe exposure setting unchanged.

Additionally, when scene illumination changes rapidly, the rapidincrease in scene luminance may exceed D_(Cam HI) and saturate the imageoutput, thereby resulting in a loss of information on scene brightnessto the auto-exposure module. For example, a person may use her cameraphone, place it on a table, later pick it up and attempt to take apicture immediately thereafter. While the camera phone is lying on thetable, the camera lens faces the table surface and the luminance of thetable is very low so that the auto-exposure module sets a long exposuretime. As the person picks the phone up and points the camera at a sceneto be captured, e.g., a bright outdoor scene viewed through a window,the scene luminance changes by many orders of magnitude within seconds.The excessive illumination causes the image to saturate and becomeclipped. Consequently, the auto-exposure module has insufficientinformation on the actual brightness of the scene and cannot accuratelydetermine the appropriate exposure for the image. There is therefore aneed to capture as much luminance information as possible from apre-capture image for use in auto-exposure operations so theseoperations may be more quickly performed to set a proper exposure forimage capture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an original image of a person in the foreground and abackground containing a bright lamp exhibiting underexposure of theperson.

FIG. 2 is an image of the person of FIG. 1 showing the clipping ofhighlights of the bright lamp of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a histogram illustrating a scene wherein the highest sceneluminance D_(Scene Hi) exceeds the highest luminance D_(Cam Hi) that canbe sensed by a camera without clipping.

FIG. 4A is a line graph illustrating a lens vignetting effect incameras.

FIG. 4B is an image illustrating a lens vignetting effect on an imageperiphery.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a first embodiment described herein.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a second embodiment described herein.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a camera containing embodimentsdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed embodiments relate to a method, apparatus and system fordynamic range estimation of imaged scenes and use of the estimateddynamic range in auto-exposure operations. Embodiments discussed hereinenable a camera to sense and process luminance information beyondD_(Cam HI), the highest luminance value available in an image processingpipeline. Typically, luminance information exceeding D_(Cam Hi) may bepresent in the pixel signals, but is lost during gain operations, forexample, during lens vignetting correction and white point correction.However, gain stages in the image processing pipeline are modified toprocess pixel luminance values having a dynamic range beyond theD_(Cam HI), luminance value which can be processed by the imageprocessing pipeline. Luminance values with increased dynamic range areprovided to a camera auto-exposure module which enables a quickerreaction to changes in luminance values.

Some embodiments described herein cause the intentional underexposure ofa scene during a pre-image capture operation to ensure that pixelbrightness values are not clipped in the pixel signal capture orprocessing. These embodiments obtain an estimate for a dynamic range,and coupled with additional gaining of pixel signals, restore thesignals in a processing pipeline to represent an imaged scene.

The term “pixel,” as used herein, refers to a photo-element unit cellcontaining a photosensor device and associated structures for convertingphotons to an electrical signal. For purposes of illustration, arepresentative three-color R, G, B pixel array is described herein;however, the invention is not limited to the use of an R, G, B array,and can be used with other color arrays, one example being C, M, Y, G(which represents cyan, magenta, yellow and green color filters). Inaddition, the invention can also be used in a mono-chromatic array wherejust one color is sensed by the array. Accordingly, the followingdetailed description of representative embodiments is not to be taken ina limiting sense.

It should also be understood that, taken alone, an image pixel does notdistinguish one incoming color of light from another and its outputsignal represents only the intensity of light received, not anyidentification of color. For purposes of this disclosure, however,pixels of a pixel array will be referred to by color (i.e., “red pixel,”“blue pixel,” etc.) when a color filter is used in connection with thepixel to pass through a particular wavelength of light, corresponding toa particular color, onto the pixel. For a processed image, each pixelcontains components of all three colors, i.e., red (R), blue (B), green(G) which are obtained through a demosaicing process of pixel signalsfrom a pixel array as is known in the art.

A histogram, such as shown in FIG. 3, results when a histogram modulescans through each of the brightness values of an image and counts howmany pixels have values that are at a brightness level from, forexample, 0 through 255. FIG. 3 indicates that the imaged scene containsmany mid-key tones, very few low-key tones (shadows) and significanthigh-key tones (highlights). FIG. 3 also indicates that a highest sceneluminance D_(Scene HI) exceeds a highest luminance D_(Cam HI) which canbe sensed and processed by the camera without clipping. In instances asshown in FIG. 3, the scene luminance above D_(CamHI) is clipped,resulting in a loss of information.

As mentioned earlier, automatic exposure control requires as muchnon-clipped luminance information as possible; however, most pixelarrays and image processing circuits have a limited dynamic range due tosignal clipping. The embodiments now described provide non-clippedluminance information to a camera auto-exposure module.

A first embodiment makes use of pixel signal gains used to offset theeffects of lens vignetting in cameras to increase the dynamic range of acamera. Particularly, lens vignetting in a camera decreases pixelresponse close to an image periphery. Because lens vignetting affectsimage periphery, the effects of an increase in the dynamic range of acamera is pronounced on the image periphery. Such a limitation is oftenacceptable as the image periphery frequently contains bright imagebackgrounds, for example, ceiling lights in an indoor scene or the skyin an outdoor scene. FIG. 4A illustrates a graph showing decreasingpixel signal output for pixels that are located away from a center of apixel array. The same effect is shown in FIG. 4B in which pixel signalsat the periphery of a pixel array appear darker than at the center ofthe pixel array.

FIG. 5 shows an image processing pipeline 500 in accordance with a firstembodiment described herein. In FIG. 5, the output from an image sensor501 may be digital pixel signals for a Bayer pattern pixel array, or anyother sensor pixel array of bit width N_(D). This bit width isdetermined by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that digitizes thepixel signals R, G, B from the pixel array. The output of the sensor 501is connected to a color channel gain module 502 for white-pointcorrection. The image sensor 501 includes a pixel array (not shown)having output lines connected to readout circuitry (not shown). Thereadout circuitry reads out digitized pixel signals from the array.Image sensors are described in e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,140,630;6,376,868; 6,310,366; 6,326,652; 6,204,524 and 6,333,205, which arehereby incorporated by reference.

White-point correction is used to balance the white point of an image inaccordance with the spectrum of the illuminant used to light the scene.The white point correction reduces color casts caused by changes inscene illuminant type from one scene to another.

After white point correction, a captured image is subject to lensvignetting correction in a lens vignetting module 503. Lens vignettingcorrection is done to account for the difference in illumination acrossthe pixel array, i.e., lens vignetting correction compensates theluminance fall-off which may occur near the edges of a pixel array dueto the lenses used to capture the image, as described above withreference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. Typically, pixel responses that have had again applied to them, for example, up to 4 times the original response,using lens vignetting correction and/or white point correction, wouldproduce pixel signals which, for bright pixels, could be clipped to thebit width N_(D) of the processing pipeline. However, in this embodiment,there is no clipping of the gained signal. Thus, the lens vignettingcorrection module 503 has a bit width N, wherein:N=N _(D) +N _(HDR)

where N_(D) is the bit width of the pixel signals output from theanalog-to-digital converter associated with sensor 501 and N_(HDR) arethe extra bits required to represent the dynamic range obtained afterthe digital gain is applied in the color channel gain module 502 andlens vignetting correction gain is applied in the lens vignettingcorrection module 503.

Typically, in an image processing pipeline, all processing occurs at thebit width of the ADC, e.g., N_(D) bits. Accordingly, after gains areapplied in modules 502, 503, the pixel signals are clipped to the bitwidth N_(D). However, in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, theextended bit width N caused by the application of gain at one or both ofthe modules 502, 503, is retained at the output of module 503. Thisprovides a wider dynamic range for the pixel signals. After the lensvignetting correction, the N-bit pixel signals are applied to ademosaicing module 504, which uses a line buffer memory 509 to demosaicthe individual R, G, B pixel signals to provide image pixels, each ofwhich has an R, G, B signal component. The demosaiced pixel signals areapplied to an N-bit color correction module 505 that corrects orenhances the color of the image pixels. From there, the color correctedpixel signals are clipped to a bit width of N_(D) (by module 507) forfurther image processing including gamma correction in module 508, notonly the brightness, but also the ratios of red to green to blue.

Unclipped pixel signals having a bit width N, however, are supplied tothe extended dynamic range (EDR) histogram module 506. The extendeddynamic range histogram module 506 retains the N-bit pixel signal widthof prior gaining steps. Module 506 thus provides a histogram of thepixel data having wider dynamic range due to the wider bit width N. Thescene's high dynamic range limit is estimated, for example, bycalculating pixel luminance values from the demosaiced R, G, B colorcomponents and analyzing a histogram of the pixel luminance values.Alternatively, a separate histogram for each color can be provided toassess distribution of pixel responses for each color. This method isparticularly efficient in miniature mobile phone camera modules whichsuffer from strong lens vignetting effects. By not using clipped data,the dynamic range of the image in the histogram can be extended from 1to 3 F-stops (6-18 dB).

The pixel data accumulated in the histogram in module 506 is examined todetermine the high limit of the dynamic range of the scene as well astheir distribution.

The first embodiment allows plotting a histogram of pixel data usingdemosaiced data. Histograms of pixel luminance only or for all threecolor channels may also be used to determine the high limit of a scene'sdynamic range, as mentioned above.

In an alternative embodiment, the pixel data, after demosaicing in thedemosaic module 504, may be clipped to its original bit width N_(D)before entering the color correction module 505. In this case, theextended dynamic range histogram module 506 receives pixel data at theoutput of the demosaic module 505 based on demosaiced R, G, B colorcomponents, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 5.

In yet another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, bit width clipping to abit width of N_(D) (via module 507) can be implemented at the input tothe demosaicing module 504 in which case the histogram module 506receives an unclipped input of bit width N from the output of lensvignetting correction module 503.

In any of the embodiments described herein, the pixel data supplied tohistogram module 506 may be plotted as a histogram in one of three ways:(i) all red, green, blue (RGB) components of a pixel data are mergedinto one histogram; (ii) an individual histogram is plotted for each ofthe red, green, blue (RGB) components and used to estimate scene dynamicrange; or (iii) one color channel, e.g., green of pixel data is used forthe histogram to estimate scene dynamic range. Besides analyzingindividual R, G, B components, pixel luminance may be calculated fromthe demosaiced R, G, B values using equations well-known in the art, thepixel luminance plotted as a histogram and analyzed.

Using the color corrected data to determine the high limit of a scene'sdynamic range, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is a good implementationbecause the histogram is plotted using color corrected data. However,pixel data processing modules, e.g., demosaic module 504 and colorcorrected module 505, which work with higher bit width are typicallymore expensive to implement than modules working with clipped lower bitwidths, and therefore, using lower bit width processing modules whiletaking the histogram before the pixel data is clipped, as illustrated inFIG. 6, may be desired.

In any of the disclosed embodiments, the histogram is passed on toauto-exposure module 510 to estimate scene luminance distribution andmaximum scene luminance by assuming a relation between the histogrampixel data and the scene luminance. Typically, for raw data it isassumed that the response of the green color channel approximates theluminance values of pixels before demosaicing and color correction andit is typically sufficient to use only the green color channel inprocessing the histograms.

The embodiments described and illustrated rely on hardware logic toimplement the various pixel data processing modules; however, one ormore of the modules may be implemented by software routines performingcomputational operations.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of an image processing pipeline 700, inaccordance with another embodiment. In this embodiment, lens vignettingis not used to gain up a signal to provide a higher bit width. Instead,the exposure is lowered intentionally during a preview period prior toactual image capture to ensure that fewer or no bright pixels are“clipped” by the analog-to-digital converter in the image processingpipeline. Typically, a digital camera initially runs in a preview modewhen the user desires to capture a scene. The preview mode usually is inprogress until a user partially presses a shutter release button. Whenthe user presses the shutter release button of the camera all the way,the camera transitions into a capture mode to capture the image. In suchinstances, the FIG. 7 embodiment may be particularly useful to determinethe dynamic range of the image.

The camera's exposure module configures the sensor 501 to underexposethe image by a certain amount, for example, U. The underexposed pixeldata are then supplied to a color channel gains module 502, the outputof which is then corrected for lens vignetting in a lens vignettingcorrection module 503. The pixel data after lens vignetting correctionis output to a demosaicing module 504. Subsequent to demosaicing, thepixel data are color corrected in module 505. The underexposed pixeldata can be collected by a histogram module 506 and passed on to anauto-exposure module 510 for evaluation of maximum scene luminance andscene luminance distribution.

The color processing pipeline 700 is configured to cancel out theeffects of underexposure by gaining back up the pixel data by, forexample by a gain stage, U⁻¹. For example, the pixel data may beunder-exposed by a factor of U=2, which corresponds to 1 F-stop.

An advantage of the FIG. 7 embodiment is that it could be used in avariety of cameras without substantial or costly hardware redesignneeded to provide extended bit width processing. This method has a minordisadvantage—as it reduces signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due tounderexposure. However, the reduction in SNR occurs only during thepreview mode and the SNR may be increased to a user-acceptable value bydownsizing the preview image for display on a small-format screen.

In an alternative embodiment, the histogram module 506 may receive pixeldata before demosaicing in the demosaic module 504, as shown by thedotted lines in FIG. 7. In this case, a gain U⁻¹ may be applied to thepixel data in the color correction module 505, which typically performsa matrix multiplication operation and applies additional gains to thepixel data. The hardware modifications to a camera for implementing theembodiment are lesser due to the elimination of the gain module 701.

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be used in combinationwith the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 to further increase thedynamic range of a camera.

FIG. 8 shows an image processor system 800, for example, a still orvideo digital camera system, which includes an imaging device 830, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. The imaging device 830may receive control or other data from system 800 and may provide imagedata to the system. System 800 includes a processor having a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 810 that communicates with various devices over abus 860. Some of the devices connected to the bus 860 providecommunication into and out of the system 800; one or more input/output(I/O) devices 840 and imaging device 830 are such communication devices.Other devices connected to the bus 860 provide memory, illustrativelyincluding a random access memory (RAM) 820, and one or more peripheralmemory devices such as a removable memory drive 850. A lens 895 is usedto allow an image to be focused onto the imaging device 830 when e.g., ashutter release button 890 is depressed. The imaging device 830 may becoupled to the processor for image processing or other image handlingoperations. Non-limiting examples of processor systems, other than acamera system, which may employ the imaging device 830, include, withoutlimitation, computer systems, camera systems, scanners, machine visionsystems, vehicle navigation systems, video telephones, surveillancesystems, auto focus systems, star tracker systems, motion detectionsystems, image stabilization systems, and others.

Embodiments described herein may also be practiced with matrix meteringauto-exposure algorithms, wherein an image is subdivided into a grid ofsub-windows and the scene luminance distribution is analyzed for each ofthe sub-windows.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described above, itshould be understood that they have been presented by way of example,and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in therelevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:
 1. An automatic exposure method comprising: underexposing an image of a scene by a predetermined amount during a preview mode which precedes an image capture mode for the scene; inputting underexposed image pixel data collected during the preview mode to an image processing pipeline; processing the underexposed image pixel data to obtain histogram information from the image pixel data; examining the histogram information to determine a high limit of a dynamic range for the scene; and adjusting an exposure parameter for the scene during an image capture mode based on the determined high limit.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the histogram information is obtained after performing a color correction operation on the image pixel data.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the histogram information is obtained before performing a demosaic operation on the image pixel data.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of applying a gain to the underexposed image pixel data.
 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of applying a gain to the underexposed image pixel data as part of the color correction operation.
 6. An imaging device comprising: a sensor configured to underexpose an image of a scene by a predetermined amount during a preview mode which precedes an image capture mode for the scene; a pixel processing pipeline for processing underexposed image pixel data, the processing pipeline comprising a histogram module adapted to use the underexposed image pixel data to generate automatic exposure information; and an automatic exposure circuit for adjusting image exposure parameters based on the generated automatic exposure information.
 7. The imaging device of claim 6, wherein the processing pipeline comprises a color correction module and the histogram module receives pixel data from the output of the color correction module.
 8. The imaging device of claim 7, wherein the processing pipeline comprises a gain module for applying a gain to the underexposed image pixel data to cancel out the effects of the underexposure.
 9. The imaging device of claim 6, wherein the processing pipeline comprises a demosaicing module and the histogram module receives pixel data at the input of the demosaicing module.
 10. The imaging device of claim 9, wherein the processing pipeline comprises a color correction module, the color correction module applies a gain to the underexposed image pixel data to cancel out the effects of the underexposure.
 11. A camera comprising: a lens; and an imaging device positioned to receive an image through the lens, the imaging device comprising: an image sensor adapted to output digitized pixel signals having a U bit-width, the digitized pixel signals are underexposed by a predetermined amount to provide un-clipped pixel data; an image processing unit for processing the underexposed and un-clipped pixel data corresponding to the digitized pixel signals using a histogram module to obtain automatic exposure information; and an auto-exposure circuit for adjusting an exposure value for the image sensor based on the histogram module automatic exposure information.
 12. The camera of claim 11, wherein the image processing unit comprises a color correction module and the histogram module receives pixel data after color correction module.
 13. The camera of claim 12, wherein the image processing unit comprises a first gain module for applying a gain to the underexposed image pixel data to cancel out the effects of the underexposure.
 14. The camera of claim 11, wherein the image processing unit comprises a demosaicing module and the histogram module receives pixel data at the input of the demosaicing module.
 15. The camera of claim 14, wherein the image processing unit comprises a color correction module, the color correction module applies a gain to the underexposed image pixel data to cancel out the effects of the underexposure.
 16. The camera of claim 11, wherein the image processing unit comprises at least one second gain module for applying a gain to at least some of the digitized pixel signals, the at least one second gain module providing the un-clipped pixel data with a bit width of U+M, where M is an additional number of bits, and the histogram provides automatic exposure information having the U+M bit width.
 17. The camera of claim 11, wherein the histogram module comprises at least three histograms, one for each color component in the image.
 18. The camera of claim 11, wherein the histogram module uses combined color components in the image. 